living loved

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. – John 15:4

These are the words of Christ – the savior, the vine. “Remain in me…”

I had the privilege of closing out a great weekend of women’s fellowship focusing on John 15 and the theme “Make Room”. For weeks prior to the retreat I focused on studying John 15 (stopping my bible study for the year – and you know I hate unchecked boxes). During that time in John 15 the words remain and abide held my attention again and again. And although I’m sure that was partly due to the fact that Christ says those words over 10 times in 6 short verses, I know that He was also speaking to my heart.

As I stood and worshipped to one of my former students singing and playing her heart out for Jesus, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Suddenly, it also occurred to me that I was surrounded (literally) on all sides by former female students singing in such beautiful harmony with her, worshipping with her, and praising with her…and me.

These beautiful women all doing different things, leading different lives, and choosing their own paths were all ONE in Christ. I don’t know that I had anything to do with their walks with Christ (I hope I lived and loved out loud for them), but what I do know is that the remain became such a profound word in that moment as I prepared to share Jesus’s words.

Remain means to stay or occupy or to stay in place. Jesus calls us to remain. Remain isn’t for a temporary moment; remain is constant. Remain isn’t when it’s convenient; remain is even when you don’t feel like it. Remain is through the good and the bad; the diagnosis and the healing. Remain is through the best of you and the worst of you. Remain is always.

And when we remain we produce much fruit. We can’t help it. The vine and the branches become so tangled and entwined with one another that you can’t separate one from the other (just ask me in the summer when I can’t tear my vines from my bushes).

Looking at those beautiful formal students turned into beautiful young women who are thriving with life, families, and their relationship with Christ reminded me that apart from Him, I can do nothing. I need him in my everyday – Every. Day. My prayer is that the way I live my life – then, now, always – will always lead others to Him. I want to abide. I want to thrive in Him.

I want to remain – always.

XOXO, Loni